With Christmas just a month away, you can hardly watch a television programme without being bombarded with holiday adverts reminding you about how much you have to do before the big day.

If you have watched even a few moments of telly over the last few weeks, then you have no doubt seen the latest ASDA commercial, which places the entire responsibility for the Christmas festivities on to the shoulders of mothers.

Under the slogan ‘Behind every great Christmas, there’s Mum’, a young mother is shown racing around, while the father and the rest of the family put their feet up.

The advert outraged feminists across the country, many of whom took to Twitter to vent their fury. Even Fathers4Justice were seething with anger. This was followed with a flurry of complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority watchdog, saying the supermarket chain’s advert is offensive to both women and men and that it perpetuates gender stereotypes.

However, the supermarket insisted that the advert had received the backing of the vast majority in a survey of 4,000 mothers before it aired – and I think I can see why.

Women take the Christmas reins

Research has shown that while it might be an annoying stereotype, women are taking the reins when it comes to taking care of Christmas. A survey by price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com has shown that nearly nine in ten women are their household’s principal shopper. Whether it is shopping for gifts or stocking up at the supermarket, we women are doing lion’s share of the festive preparations.

While some of us enjoy it and others begrudge the annual task, one thing we can all agree on, is that it doesn’t come cheap.

Figures by Moneysupermarket.com show that the average consumer is expected to splash out £445 each this Christmas on everything from gifts for under the tree, food for on the table or a new frock or two to make it through the party season in style. Unfortunately, the bad news is that one in five consumers expect their Christmas spending to get them further into debt.

But you need not go into the red when shopping for the holidays – you just need to be savvy.

Every year, I do the bulk of my Christmas shopping from the comfort of my sofa. Not only does it mean I can sip a glass of mulled wine at home with my feet up while avoiding the crowds, but it allows me to use a whole arsenal of online tricks to ensure that with a few clicks of the mouse I always get the best deals – without scrimping on quality.

Money-saving tricks

Here are a few of my tricks.

If you too are a fan of buying your pressies online, why not earn money at the same time?

Sign up with a cashback website, such as Quidco.com or Topcashback.com, where you can earn a percentage of the value of your shopping. These sites list product providers and retailers that pay commission when you click through to them. In turn, the cashback website rebates some of this commission to the consumer.

Using these websites is simple – create an account and visit the website when shopping online and select the retailer for your purchases. To get started, log in and the money raised from your click will be deposited into your account – all you need do is choose what to do with your payments.

For instance, on Quidco.com recently, shoppers could earn 18pc cashback from The Body Shop, 6.5pc at HMV or 3pc at ASOS.

Bear in mind that you can also register your debit and credit cards with Quidco.com and you can even earn while you shop in–store. For instance, recently you could earn 4.8pc at H Samuel and 2pc at Debenhams.

But don’t forget to make the most of discounts and codes to get more bang for your buck when shopping online too. And remember, that there is no limit on the number of times you can use each voucher – so use them as often as you can.

Codes this week from Vouchercloud.com include £5 off when you spend £25 at the Disney Store with code DJSPECIAL before December 15, 15pc off at Boden by entering code Q392 at the check out before the end of November or 25pc off selected chart CD orders at HMV before December 31 with the code PE25.

Don't forget discount retailers

Another way to save a fortune is by using discount retailers online. If you have bookworms on your Christmas list, the first place to look for a deal is The Book People, where you can find savings of least 50pc off the publishers' recommended prices.

For example, if you have little ones to buy for, at the moment a 12-piece set of Dr Seuss books will set you back just £14.99, compared to the regular retail price of £83.88. Or for those who have a foodie in the family, you can find Nigellissima for just £9.99 and Jamie's 15-Minute Meals for just £9.99 compared to the normal price of £26 each. Delivery normally costs from £2.95, but if you spend over £25 it is free.

If the Christmas tipple is breaking your budget, a good website for wine deals is Quaffers' Offers. This site allows you to search the current offers at supermarkets across the country, as well as specialist wine merchants. For instance, this week it shows that Asda is discounting Espartero Rioja Reserva to £5.50 from £9.98, while Waitrose has reduced Tiki Ridge Sauvignon Blanc Reserve from £9.49 to £6.49.

Many retailers offer substantial discounts on alcohol if you buy in bulk. For example, currently Marks & Spencer is offering 25pc off wine or a 10pc discount on champagne when you buy two or more cases online.

With just a few online offers you can greatly reduce your holiday spend. Christmas shopping doesn’t have to be a pain or break the bank this year. Settle in one evening at home and turn on the Christmas music, grab your laptop and scour for some competitive online deals. Your tired feet – and your bank account – will thank you.

Telegraph Wonder Women wants to hear what's on your mind when it comes to money. Are you perplexed by pensions, enraged by energy bills or confused by childcare costs? Email your questions or comments to wonderwomen@telegraph.co.uk with 'Purse Strings' in the subject line and we'll consider including them in future columns.